Muslim APP PRO: What A Muslim Should Know -By Musa Kalim Gambo

It may or may not be true that the Muslim App Pro has sold user data to a government military agency, however, there is to this moment no publicly available evidence to confirm or deny any aspect of this claim going round on some social media platforms.

Muslim App Pro has about 95 million users around the world. These users are without any doubt mainly, if not only Muslims. The app uses the location of the user to determine time for prayers and the qibla, almost accurately. The app interestingly makes the adhan or the call to prayer after determining these parameters. In addition to these, the app contains the glorious Qur’an and its translation in over 40 different languages.

It is safe to assume that most of the Muslims using this app are highly devout whom the secular West could easily classify as potential extremists, fundamentalists, or even terrorists. This assumption is made under the belief that only a committed Muslim will want to be reminded about the times of prayer even at places where he will not hear the traditional adhan or call to prayer.

In the heat of this grave allegation, the owners of the Muslim App Pro have denied the claim that they sold user data to any military. It is possible that this is true, but it is also possible that even if it is not sold, the data could be compromised or stolen by anyone other than the military suspected. This possibility is a common denominator to any application you use. Data that enable an analyst to predict your habits, tendencies and preferences could actually be generated. You have no privacy as long as you make use of internet enabled devices.

The other more critical assumption I could make out of this scandalous allegation is that; someone somewhere doesn’t want 95 million Muslims around the world to be reminded about prayer time, the accurate direction of prayer, or to improve on their Qur’an memorisation using this popular app. What is the best way to achieve this? Scare the users, that this big bully called Uncle Sam is spying on the users using the app, and I will bet on my last fifty Naira that they are going to uninstall the app. In the next few days, the number of these app users will drop. The number of Muslims who may miss prayer time and direction will increase. The number of young Muslims who frequently use this app to improve their memorisation and recitation of the glorious Qur’an will fall, even if insignificantly.

These are broadly two assumptions, and any one of them may be right, and they could both be wrong.

In the end, my personal thought is that if the Muslim would uninstall this app, he should as well uninstall every other app on his smartphone, they could all also be used to spy on him without his consent or knowledge. He should as well stop using any digital device, because they could all be used to spy on him.
Before I leave you, by the way, why should one be alarmed that someone is spying on him? Who is afraid?!!! Are we what they suspect?!!! We are not!!! We are only Muslims serving at the pleasure of our Creator and Lord, Allah. And He will protect us from the evil inclinations and actions of anyone, living or dead, from the West, and even from among us!

Musa Kalim Gambo writes from Jos, Nigeria.